Disposable absorbent articles are broadly available and consumers generally prefer high performance for the collection and retention of menses (in the case of sanitary napkins or panty liners) or for the collection and retention of urine and fecal material (in the case of e.g. disposable diapers). However, consumers that expect a superior absorbency behaviour may also place more emphasis on the wearing comfort of such articles, and namely on the dryness of those articles.
Typically, such articles comprise multiple absorbent members, at least one member being primarily designed to store liquid, and at least one other member primarily designed to acquire and/or distribute liquid.
At least the storage member will often comprise super-absorbent material, which may be admixed with the traditionally used pulp fiber material. Such super-absorbent materials can absorb many times (e.g. 10, 20, or 30 times) their own weight and are therefore very helpful when designing an article of improved fluid handling properties. Many recent products employ higher and higher concentrations of super-absorbent materials, that is concentrations in excess of 50% of the total weight of the storage member. These products achieve a high absorbing capacity with a very thin storage member and are thereby typically overall thin products. While super-absorbent materials can store very large amounts of liquid, they are often not able to distribute the liquid from the point of impact to more remote areas of the absorbent article and to acquire the liquid as fast as it may be received by the article.
For this reason acquisition members are used, which provide for the interim acquisition of large amounts of liquid and which often also allow for the distribution of liquid. Thereby the acquisition member plays an important role in using the whole absorbent capacity provided by the storage member.
Materials suitable to meet the above outlined requirements for a liquid acquisition layer must meet these requirements not only in standard or ideal conditions, but in a variety of conditions, namely at different temperatures and pressures, occurring in use, but also during storage and handling.
WO 98/22279 (Flohr et al.) discloses acquisition layers for improved liquid handling in absorbent articles. As one fluid handling material fibrous materials, which can be carded, are disclosed. These fibers are chemically bonded by a resin. According to this disclosure a resin bonded acquisition layer can be combined with a layer of crosslinked cellulose material.
WO 97/00354 (Cook et al.) discloses a process for obtaining such cellulose material, according to which brighter individualized fibers of reduced odour can be obtained, which are cross-linked with a polycarboxylic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,537 (Herron et al.) discloses the use of conventional pulp fibers in combination with cross-linked pulp fibers for use in an absorbent article.
For the use in specific absorbent articles, such as tampons US 2003/0097104 A1 (Gilbert) discloses the use of a wicking overwrap, which allows good acquisition and wearing comfort. This wicking overwrap can comprise synthetic fibers and rayon fibers in a ratio from about 90:10 to about 30:70.
The present invention provides an absorbent article, which has improved liquid handling characteristics as compared to the above disclosed articles.
In a further aspect present invention provides an article, which is more comfortable to wear, and which in particular provides superior dryness.
In a yet further aspect, the present invention provides fluid acquisition layers for improved liquid handling characteristics, namely for use with storage layer comprising a high concentration of super absorbent polymers and with a further (typically topmost) liquid layer comprising resin bonded fibers.